How to make homemade cat litter?

When we have a cat at home, one of the first things we have to teach it is to relieve himself in his litter box. Normally it won't take us more than a few days to get it to learn where to go whenever it needs to, but we'll save a lot more time by keeping it clean all the time. And it is that these animals are very demanding with their toilet, and if it is not pristine, it is most likely that they will decide to do their depositions in any other place of the house.

To save time and, above all, money, we suggest that you make your own sand mix. In this way, you will not have to go every week to buy bags or carry heavy bags. But, How to make homemade cat litter?

Most commercial cat litters have chemicals that pollute the environment. If we want to give it natural care, it is interesting to take advantage of what nature offers us to make our own. In addition to the fact that at the end of the month we will have been able to save an interesting amount of money, the homemade sand weighs much less, so It will be much easier for us to fill the litter box as we do not have to make so much effort.

Related article:

How to clean my cat's litter box

There are several ways to make homemade sand: with non-specific products for cats or by making it ourselves.

How to make sand by mixing products

To make this type of sand you will have to go to the hardware to get normal sand, at the carpentry If you prefer to replace the sand with something much less heavy such as sawdust, pharmacy to acquire baking soda to mix and eliminate odors, or by supermarket to buy breadcrumbs which will serve to agglomerate.

Advantages and disadvantages of each

• Normal sand: It is the heaviest of all, and also the one most similar to the one sold in supermarkets. It does not agglomerate much, so you have to be a little careful to keep the tray clean. In spite of everything, it is very economical (it can cost about 5 euros for a 25kg bag), so if we want to save a good economic 'peak' it is worth it.
• Sawdust: sawdust weighs practically nothing, and is fairly clean. Cats tend to like it a lot, and their humans too 😉. It is highly recommended to buy coarse sawdust, as it will absorb the rust better.
• Sand with baking soda: normal sand, when mixed with baking soda, becomes a very good sand. A little baking soda is first put in the base of the tray, and then it is mixed with the sand. Thus, your furry will have a toilet where he can relieve himself comfortably.
• Clumping sand: To create this type, you just have to mix 5kg of normal sand with 2kg of breadcrumbs. It is very pleasant to the touch, and also much easier to remove the stool without taking more sand than necessary. If you don't have breadcrumbs, you can grate the stale bread by cutting it into pieces and putting them in a mincer, or in a more traditional way, grating it with a grater.

How to make homemade cat litter

However, a more natural alternative if possible is to make the litter for our cat ourselves, at home. For it, we will need:

• Bicarbonate of soda
• Strainer
• Paper crusher
• Old newspapers
• Container with some capacity
• Biodegradable detergent
• And of course gloves

Step by step 

The step by step that we must follow to make homemade sand is the following: 

1. The first thing to do is shred the newspaper in the shredder, and then put it in a container that will have been filled with warm water. Add a few drops of biodegradable detergent, and leave it until it has the consistency of oatmeal.
2. Then put the paper in the strainer to drain it.
3. Then moisten it again with lukewarm water; this time without the detergent.
4. Now is the time apply baking soda to the paper, mixing it well. Don't forget to wear gloves to do this step.
5. Drain it as well as you can.
6. Put the paper on a smooth surface to dry.

Once it's dry, only one last thing will remain: fill the furry's litter box by putting a layer about 3cm thick, and wait to see their reaction. It is sure to surprise you, especially if you have been using the commercial arena for a long time. It is also possible that you do not like it, in which case I recommend that for a few weeks you have two trays: in one you will have your usual sand, and in the other you will put a mixture of both.

Know that some furry will have a hard time getting used to the new sand, so at least for a few months (it can be 2 or more, depending on the cat) it is convenient to have two toilets. After a while you will see that he begins to use the one that is mixed; Thus, you will have a reason to add more and more homemade sand to the mix ... until a day will come when you only need to use this one.

Making homemade cat litter is a great way to take care of the environment, don't you think?